Second ASI official in the fall semester resigns for personal reasons

Second ASI official in the fall semester resigns for personal reasons

Associated Students Inc. (ASI) vice president of finance resigned Sept. 17, the second resignation of a student government official since the beginning of the semester.

Ramon Gonzalez, who was elected vice president of finance in May, resigned from ASI’s board of directors due to “personal reasons,” according to President Sara Padash, who received his letter of resignation.

Gonzalez’s resignation follows that of former President Kenneth Collins’ in August.

While officials declined to state academic standing as the cause of Gonzalez’s resignation, a source who wanted to remain unidentified told Xpress that several members of the board failed to meet the grades necessary to hold office.

Under the guidelines of California State University (CSU) Office of the Chancellor, the minimum grade point average for elected student officials to hold office is a 2.0.

ASI Executive Director Peter Koo said that the CSU Office of the Chancellor implements a grade check policy through its minimum qualifications for student office holders, but did not disclose whether Gonzalez failed to meet these standards.

Koo said it is not unusual for members to resign from their positions.

He suspects attention to their academics and other responsibilities prompted their decision to step down.

“Sometimes they resign for work related issues and need more time to study in order to academically keep up,” Koo said. “It’s a balancing act.”

Prior to this semester, there has only been one confirmed resignation of a board member since December 2012, which was also the vice president of finance position, according to ASI agenda records.

Family and consumer sciences major Evangelina Calderon found the latest withdrawal from ASI troubling.

“The school system isn’t at its best if we keep having officials resign,” Calderon said. “If the staff isn’t stable then the school education isn’t stable and doesn’t work that well.”

Ethnic Studies Rep Luis De Paz filled Gonzalez’s seat following his resignation. De Paz also served on ASI’s Finance Committee alongside Gonzalez, and has found the recent changes on the board difficult.

“It’s definitely challenging,” De Paz said. “It’s a team, and when you start you want to finish together, but things happen and some of us have to step up.”